The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-01-30
AN INCIDENT OF CHICKAMAUGA.
Brigadier-General Carlin Riding Bare Headed
and Alone Before the Enemys Fire.

"Brieadier general Carlin, as far as ] am
aware" remarked DR.: /: D. Waterman to a
Journal reporter, t'has not recently been before
the public; nor do I now know his residence, nor
have seen or heard from him since the event OF
which / am about to speak, out OF regard for the
truth of history. The time was the afternoon
of the second day at Chickamauga. ! was sur
geon and medical director of the Major general
jeff G. Davis'sl Second Division Of the old Twen-
teth Army corps. The right of our army had
been driven back and new line had been
formed by the regiments remaining and such
support as had been sent to them from Gen.
Sheridans division and perhaps, Wilder. had
no necessity to show the courage of soldier,
nor vas it my duty, but, remembering con-
temptuous allusion, in the report after Pitts
burg Landing by the brigadier-gene com
mapdng to the medical director, that he sup
posed lie was doing his duty, as he saw nothing
OF him duringE the engagement, and, realizing
shat was not favorite with the adjutant gen.
sral, / determined to avert such report as
to myself So / rode to the front and re-
ported in person to Major general Davis, with
The remark, General, my work is organized at
Twin Springs, and going satisfactorily Can
be Of service to your 'aThe General answered,
Yes, my staff are all out on duty. STAY here
and keep my division flag and orderly here
whilst confer with General Rosecrars,' who.
with his staff. was hill in rear The sit
nation was unknown to me, but saw regular
line of battle rapidly forming on my front two
rodsaway, while half mile in front of that, wind
Ing over the rolling ground | saw another line
81 some army which L supposed to be ours.
Firing was sharp both of muskets and batteries,
and the leaves of the scattered trees on the hill
slope were falling, as in autumn, from bullet
cuts, and the dirt was frequently dashed up in
front of and beside the white horse on which
sat. The line Of our troops in front of me broke
away and retreatcd backwards up the slope The
line in front, firing steadily, advanced until
could see clearly that 1t was not our
army. A new battery sent its balls around
me- Then l appreciated that l was in
peril without doing any good, so | turned to
the orderly who had charge of the division flag,
TO find MIN gone l looked over the field, and
not soldier of our army was in front of me
save one officer on horseback who was riding
bare-headed in slow trot towards me, with his
back to the enemy q rod away. The bullets and
cannon balls were by this TINA frequent near
mo that SAID mentally each struck or
whizzed past, That one did not hit me. / rec
ocnzed Brigader general Carlin, whom | had
met before, and by this time he rode abreast OF
me nalf rcd to my left / whirled my horse so
as to bring myself on his left. two yards from
him and abreast, and spoke to him. General
Carlin!' He was very erect in his saddle, bare
headed, his face waxlike in color, his unsheathed
sword in his right hand and at his shoulder, his
eyes directed statue like, before him as he rode
from the enemy, and in the of artillery and
musketry he neither heard nor noticed me, al
though i rode beside him for three or four rods
then turned to the left obliguely, put spurs to
my horse. and dashed up ravine, out of range
OF the firing"